Tasha Tudor was a renowned American illustrator and writer of children’s books, who lived a simple and nostalgic life in the New England countryside. She created over 100 books in her lifetime, many of them inspired by her love for nature, animals, and family. She was also known for her eccentric lifestyle, which resembled that of the early 19th century. She wore homespun clothes, spun her own yarn, raised goats and chickens, and grew her own food and flowers. She was especially fond of corgis, the sturdy little dogs that featured in some of her books.
Tasha Tudor’s Early Life and Career
Tasha Tudor was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 28, 1915, as Starling Burgess. She was the daughter of naval architect W. Starling Burgess and portrait painter Rosamond Tudor. She was named after her father, but he later changed her name to Natasha, after the heroine of War and Peace, and then to Tasha. She spent her early years in various places in Massachusetts and Maryland, where her father worked as an aircraft designer during World War I. Her parents divorced when she was nine, and she went to live with friends of the family in Redding, Connecticut.
Tasha developed a strong desire to live an agrarian lifestyle in the New England countryside from a young age. She also showed a talent for drawing and painting, which she inherited from her mother. She quit school after eighth grade and studied at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts School for a short time. She married Thomas McCready in 1938 and moved to a farm in Webster, New Hampshire, where they raised four children: Bethany, Seth, Thomas, and Efner.
Tasha published her first book, Pumpkin Moonshine, in 1938, as a gift for a niece of her husband. She went on to illustrate and write dozens of books for children, such as Mother Goose (1944), A Time to Keep (1977), Corgiville Fair (1971), and The Great Corgiville Kidnapping (1997). She also illustrated classics such as Little Women (1969), The Secret Garden (1962), and A Child’s Garden of Verses (1961). She received two Caldecott Honor Awards for her illustrations and several other honors for her contribution to children’s literature.
Tasha Tudor’s Later Years and Death
Tasha divorced Thomas McCready in 1961 and moved to a replica of an 18th-century farmhouse in Marlboro, Vermont, with her son Seth. She later married Allan John Woods, but the marriage was short-lived. She continued to live a simple and self-reliant life on her farm, surrounded by her animals, plants, and antiques. She also traveled around the world to promote her books and exhibit her artwork.
Tasha suffered from a series of strokes in her later years, which affected her vision and mobility. She died on June 18, 2008, at the age of 92, from complications of a stroke. Her death sparked a legal dispute among her heirs over her estate, which was valued at $2 million. Her will left almost everything to Seth Tudor, who had cared for her for many years. Her other children contested the will, claiming that Seth had unduly influenced their mother. The case was settled out of court in 2010.
Tasha Tudor left behind a legacy of beautiful books that have enchanted generations of readers with their charm and whimsy. She also inspired many people with her passion for living close to nature and honoring the past. She once said: “I’ve never wanted anything else but this kind of life”.
